Leader
by Kalims
Summary: In order to defeat an old enemy, the guardians have to ask for help from the person they've hurt and pushed away. Will this person's comeback help in the battle? Or will she only be a help in rising the group's mixed up, hidden feelings? ON HOLD!
1. We Need Her Back

**Leader**

Chapter 1: We need her back.

Taranee grimaced at the scene in front of her. Irma and Rachel were having a race – a food race, for God's sake! They were trying to see who could finish her hamburger first, and the competition was surely heating up.

". . . Irma uses her tongue to swallow the french fries faster, but could she finish first? Aaah, it seems that Rachel has a secret weapon of her own! With her huge jaw, she's biting off the bread with an incredible speed, and it seems like the race isn't going to come to an end anytime soon, ladies!" Hay Lin was playing the commenter and the judge of the race, much to Cornelia and Taranee's embarrassment.

"Stop it guys. We're twenty one years old; can't you act a little bit like grown ups?" Cornelia asked in annoyance, only to be ignored by her three friends who were very caught up in the game.

"Ooh but wait a second, Irma gets slowed down by The Lettuce Obstacle. Rachel makes her way to the finish line through the mustard and ketchup. Could this be the end?" Irma was trying her best to win. It was like she was fighting for her life. She immedialty swallowed the huge lettuce and crushed the tomato slices under her teeth. At this threatening move, Rachel speed up even more, totally and literary digging her entire face inside her burger, covering it with mystirious not-known-to-men sauces, and not even separating the onions in the burger from her golden locks, now also in her mouth.

The scene was so disgusting that even Hay Lin made a face. After a while, Irma was chewing the last bite, she took a sip out of her coke to ease up the swallowing process, then crossed her arms and laid her back on her sit enjoying her victory, before proudly burping.

Taranee and Cornelia were relieved that this childish gross contest is finally over, Rachel was kinda upset from losing, while Hay Lin, even though feeling very disgusted, announced the results. "And we have a winnerrrrr!"

"Ha! Yes! I told you never to challenge me in what comes to food – it's my specialty; my main domain." Irma wiggled her brows as the others nodded in agreement. Rachel sighed.

"Oh well, you can't blame me for trying. I think, as the leader of the group, I should admit the defeat and congratulate you." She said while taking a napkin and wiping the food on her face with it.

"Aw, come on Rachy, you were a great opponent! No one had reached your level. The rest of the girls surrendered at the third bite. They couldn't take the enormous amount of meat." Irma said as a consolation for Rachel. Cornelia just humphed.

"Well Irma, I think the rest of the girls didn't have your animal skills. And by the way, would you please take a napkin? You look like soaked pig." She remarked, not rudely, but honestly. "Actually, come to think of it, you probably need a towel."

"Corny, Corny, Corny . . . are you jealous from Rachy because she almost won and you couldn't handle the taste the buffalo sauce?"

"Ooh, please, I should feel jealous because she was able to scare all of the customers of the cafeteria out?"

"That guy over there couldn't take his eyes off both of us. I think he's attracted to spicy women." Irma pointed out, winking at Cornelia.

"He couldn't take his eyes off you two because after seeing you he most probably lost control over his nervous system." The three other girls rolled their eyes without feeling the need to stop the fight, since they were used to it and they knew that after just two minutes, Irma and Cornelia will shut up by themselves.

While drinking her lemonade, Taranee heard Yan Lin's voice in her head; she was calling her telepathically, but she couldn't hear clearly enough. "Guys, guys, shut up, I can't hear." Taranee exlaimed, focusing on what Yan Lin was tryign to say. After a while of nodding, she spoke. "It seems that Yan Lin wants us in Candracar now, so I guess we should pay the check and leave."

They did as she said. They moved to an alley so Rachel could open a portal to Candracar. When they got there, they found Yan Lin, Caleb, Elyon, and Matt who was looking down.

"Hey guys, you called?" Rachel said as she walked to Matt's side. Yan Lin sighed but didn't answer.

"What's wrong?" Hay Lin asked, feeling the tension the the room. Yan Lin didn't know what to say, she didn't know how to break the news to them; it was really serious. She doesn't know how the could react.

"You're starting to scare me Yan Lin. Something happened?"

"Girls, I . . . Well yes, something has indeed happened, b-but I don't . . . " Yan Lin tried to tell them about the important info but she was out of words. She too was very stunned and she was still overwhelmed by this discovery.

"Tell us what happened." Once again, she didn't answer.

"Damn it Yan Lin, just spill it out!" Elyon suddenly snapped. When Yan Lin had told her about it, Elyon didn't listen to her. She _wouldn't_. She had tried her best to find other solutions, but there wasn't. Elyon wanted the guardians to know about it and move to the umcomfortable part already. Caleb was was very upset, he didn't know what to say, and as for Matt, he was so devastated and lost in his thoughts that he didn't even feel Rachel nudging him. The girls were very worried: something was terribly wrong or else why would Elyon lose her nerves like that and why would Yan Lin be too hesitated to just tell them?

"What I'm going to say isn't going to be easy, so I'm going to say it quick. Phobos is back."

"WHAT?" All five screamed at the first time.

About seven years ago, Phobos jumped from Candracar's castle's balcony into the infinity below. It was his only way to escape prison after being captured by the council and the Guardians. Everybody thought that he was doomed to keep falling into emptiness for the rest of his life. But he showed up in Metamoor a week ago. Two of the villagers saw him and recognized him. They hurried to Maridian and told the Queen. At first she didn't believe it because it was impossible, but after just five days, a huge escape operation took place in Meridian's prison. Dozens of villains escaped, and only one man could plan such thing: Phobos. Plus, the guards were able to see the man who crashed in and freed everyone; long blond hair, pale white skin, a cold face and emotionless eyes. No doubt, it was him.

Yan Lin explained that to the guardians, they were all shocked and confused, also worried and troubled. Rachel never met Phobos – she wasn't the leader of the Guardians at the time – but she knew all about him. She knew he was a great danger and a threat of every world's peace.

After a while, the blonde leader tried to spread some confidence into her friends' minds, even if she wasn't so sure herself. "Look guys, you captured him once, we can do it again. I mean now we're even more powerful than back when you were thirteen. We'll stop him and catch him before he does anything, and we'll catch those runaways too. We just need to focus and do our best, I'm sure we'll find them before it's too late." She asserted smiling optimisticaly at the others.

"You know what, maybe you're right Rach. We don't need to worry, we just need to concentrate that's all." Cornelia agreed, receiving nods from everyone except for Yan Lin, Matt, Caleb and Elyon.

"Yeah Yan Lin, you gave me goosebumps for nothing. You shouldn't have scared us like this, you should've been more optimistic and supportive like Rachy over here. Consider that job done because we are–"

"That is not the fucking problem!" Matt growled, making Rachel who was so close to him jump out of surprise and worry. When he saw how she looked at him, he shook his head and then sat down, letting Yan Lin finish the talking.

"Like Matt said, this isn't what I'm concerned about . . . I . . . I talked to the council when Elyon told me about Phobos, and they . . ." Yan Lin couldn't keep talking straight. The Guardians were pretty alarmed right now. What on Earth could it be? "Well, they warned that Phobos may be stronger than ever. We don't know for how long he got out of the infinite emptiness, and he was quite daring and powerful when he struck the jail in Meridian. He must be planning on a huge revenge, and because he is a such great threat – a demise upon all of us, honestly – we think that we need her to help us. Her, girls, as in Will." Yan Lin whispered, sorrow and regret, even shame, clear in her voice.

Four guardians stood silent in disbelieve, while Rachel was confused and lost. "Wait a minute, who's Will?" She aksed with a raised eyebrow.

"Why . . . Hey, why do we need her? We have Rachel now, so we're not missing anyone." Irma protested, not believing what she just heard.

"Are you seriously comparing Rachel to Will? Will is more experienced; more than all of you. Over the years she had been the one who trained the hardest, survived the worst, and went through the most. This is not going to be easy, thus we do need her help."

"No we don't! Phobos doesn't know anything about our new real strength. We can beat him without her being anywhere around!" Cornelia shot back, flinging her arms in the air.

"But who's Will?" Once again, Rachel was ignored.

"You think this is a game? We don't know what is Phobos planning on doing. It could be the end of Candracar and the end of every peaceful world. we need every ally to help us find him and destroy him. Will is strong and she is the best at forward-looking and preparing. Phobos had the element of surprise by his side, but if we have Will, we'll have an equilibrium."

"Guys, _who_ is Will?" Rachel was now desperately asking, but still receiving no answer.

"So is that it? After all these years, we're going to ask her for help just because we're scared of what that bastard might do to us?"

"That bastard is the most wanted criminal in the entire universe. Do you want Will back, or do you prefer seeing all of us dying? Your choice."

The girls didn't respond. Rachel was tired of asking, but she was about to shout for an answer before Irma puffed out her chest, and grimacing like a sad clown, stamped her foot on the ground then leaped over a near chair, and shouted. "Gee, that's great! But remember Yan Lin, she ran away. She could be anywhere right now. How are we going to find her?"

"With the Heart, of course." She said taking the necklace off her neck. Yan Lin took the heart after being declared as the new oracle, she kept it with her ever since.

"The Heart is still connected to her; you just say the word and it'll lead you to Will." Yan Lin informed, much to Rachel's confusion. She was the leader of the Guardians, and the Heart never even obeyed her! How would it be connected to that Will? Something was really strange. They were talking good about her, that girl with the boy name, but they didn't want her to be with them. So what was her deal?

"There's no other solution?" Hay Lin wanted some hope but her grandmother shock her head sadly.

"No, there's not." They sighed.

"Then I guess we got o look for her now." Yan Lin nodded in agreement.

"Take the Heart. Girls, you and Matt better look for her starting today; the sooner the better. When you find her, try your best to make her accept this mission, clear? Even if she turns you off, you just keep insisting. This is really important, do you get it?"

"This is going to be a long hard trip." They groaned before Cornelia took the Heart form Yan Lin and left Candracar with the rest of the Guardians and Matt.

They came back at the spot where they had left at the beginning. Cornelia looked at the Heart, then whispered softly. "Heart, lead us to Will." The Heart immediately glowed and it floated up, apparently pointing to a specific direction. "Well . . . I guess here we go." They took off flying, Matt in his regent form, each of them was deep in silent and deep in thoughts. Rachel, however, was finally fed up.

"Okay, tell me NOW! Who's the hell is Will?" She shouted, but it took few moments for Taranee to answer.

"Rachel, it's time to tell you a little story . . ."


	2. Things Changed

**Leader**

Chapter 2: Things changed.

"We weren't always a leaderless group, Rachel. Before you were chosen to lead us, there was a previous chief." Taranee started to explain, adding more shock and surprise into Rachel's state.

She'd been eighteen when she met the guardians, when she found out that she was chosen to guide them, when she was introduced to Candracar and all the other worlds. The girls had told her that they had been a team since age thirteen, but they never mentioned anything about having a leader before. So now, Rachel was really stunned, and rightfully a little hurt.

"The Will we were talking about back there, she was our leader. She had been since we first started the group until we turned seventeen. At that time, she ran away, after an . . . a kind of incident."

"So she was like Nerissa huh?" Rachel said rolling her eyes at how crazy the girl must be. She also knew everything about Nerissa, who she was and what she had done. She thought that seeking more power was really pointless and stupid. She knew for sure there was no chance she'd ever end up like the previous leaders.

"No, she wasn't." Irma disclosed firmly without looking at Rachel. "She was nothing like that."

"Will was a very good leader, actually. She had sacrificed her life numerous times to save us. Like Yan Lin said, she was smart, good at preparing and planning, and she never rushed into something without making sure of its success; she never risked our safety. And also, she was brave. Modest, caring . . . Most importantly, she was our friend." Taranee continued, recalling few memories of herself with Will. Rachel was really lost at this discovery.

"If she was that great, then why did she ran away? What happened?"

"It happened four years ago," Cornelia started, "Will was a devoted fighter, a very serious one, too. She trained hard and constantly, and she became really powerful. She also spent a lot of time Candracar's library; she read about everything, like the infinite universe's history, its famous villains, its famous heroes, and its major wars. So yeah, she was full of knowledge and information about these stuff. She was in a level that no other Guardian had ever reached. That was a good thing – it was _supposed_ to be a good thing – but the council wasn't glad."

Cornelia went silent, so Hay Lin decided to continue the explanation, not before sighing. "The council had doubts; they were suspicious of her actions. Will was getting really strong, and they started to see her as a possible threat, especially after Nerissa's problem before. Although Will never showed any intentions of betraying Candracar or turning to the bad side, and although she never showed any signs of being that lustful for power, the council wanted to make sure that she never would even think of turning against them. However, they knew that they can't do anything, at least not without the approvale of the Orcale – grandma.

"Their trust in her waned considerably, and they did tell my grandmother about it. Of course, she ignored them at the beginning, but then they started to remind her of Nerissa. Remember, Rachel, that grandma was a Guardian before, and Nerissa made her suffer a lot. So deep down inside of her, she had always been a little too careful and alarmed. She never hated Will, of course, but with all that talking, she couldn't help but to keep an eye on her. It couldn't happen in a worst time though."

"What do you mean? What happened?" Rachel asked, hidden annoyance in her voice from her lack of information on this subject. She was having a hard time adjusting to the fact that her teammates had a leader before her, and that they never told her anything about her, like they were trying to forget everything. Apparently that didn't work out because they seemed like they remembered every detail about her.

"Well, we had a mission to do, but it went wrong . . . None of us got hurt or anything, but the results weren't the expected ones, and they didn't serve Candracar's interest. So, the council wanted someone to pay for it."

"They simply blamed Will for what happened, though it wasn't her fault. It was nobody's fault – things sometimes just go out of control – but the council took the first opportunity to crush Will and her self-confidence. The punishment was simple yet cruel; they took Will's powers and stripped her from her title. She was no longer allowed to go to Candracar or interfere in the infinite world's business. That was overwhelming enough, but too bad they didn't stop there." The girls and Matt remembered what happened next; they had taken part in this dreadful stage themselves. They had caused Will's breakdown. Rachel saw pain and regret in their eyes, maybe because they were watching all of this happening without making a move or stopping it.

"They banned us from talking to her because they thought that Will would seek her revenge using us. They knew we loved her so much, so they wanted to make sure that we wouldn't plan anything with her against Candracar."

The Heart suddenly pointed down, which meant that they were close to the ex-leader. Rachel could feel her friends' hearts beating out of their chests, their breathing becoming heavy. They landed on the ground than started walking in the direction that the Heart was directing. The Earth Guardian got back to her talking.

"Yan Lin ordered us not to talk to Will much. We didn't want to do that, but we knew that we have to; the punishment of disobeying the council's rules was death, and even though Yan Lin probably wouldn't allow that, it would certainly lead to fights and disagreements in Candracar, which was something that would've harmed us all. So, for weeks we didn't pay attention to her, we barely talked to her or even looked at her. Will knew that something was wrong, she asked us but we never answered. W-We thought that the council will finally give us a green light, after Yan Lin reasoned with them, but that needed _time_.We did not have that time; Will finally broke when Matt himself started to ignore her."

"Matt? What did he mean for her?"

"I was her boyfriend." Matt, who had been silent for the whole trip, said frowning.

_No wonder you never were interested in me that way, _Rachel though silently. She always had a crush on Matt, but for some reason he never payed that much attention to her. He never paid attention to any girl actually, so she adopted the theory that he was probably gay.

"So one day, she ran away. We never realized how much we hurt her, the council kept telling us that these were just the rules. We just woke up on a normal day, went to school, only to realize that she was nowhere to be found. Gone. We were enormously devastated. Searching for her and finding her wouldn't have been a problem if the council just admitted that they were wrong and that they had misjudged Will, but they didn't. Many months passed by, and some of the council's members started to feel some guilt. At that point, we could've looked for her but . . . but we didn't want to. We knew that she probably already hated us so much. Facing her after that long was out of the question, we were just too coward for that. So the Guardians remained without a leader for about a year before you showed up." She pointed out, before stopping dead in her tracks. Cornelia pointed into a place, an instruction painted black. It was in the distance in this unfamiliar town away from Heatherfield. The Heart was leading to it so Will had got to be there.

"Guys, Will's there." She said with her voice full of emotions; fear, pain, maybe a little bit of excitement, and love. While none of them moved, Rachel sighed and headed towards that place, expecting the others to find confidence and follow, but they didn't. Rachel looked at them then groaned. "Come on you cowards, it's not like she's going to bite or something." They stared at her like they were offended, Irma, for the first time ever, actually glared at her.

"You have no idea what she meant to us. We had hurt her. She could be in a really bad condition right now. So of course we're going to be scared, she's Will for God's sake!" Rachel felt bad. She lowered her head a little, thinking that Irma was right.

"I'm sorry. I really feel for you guys, but . . . Candracar needs us, they need us to stay strong and do what they told us to do. I really hope Will's okay, I do. But we need to go there and check for ourselves, so hold a grip on yourselves, okay?" In an instant, the group gave her a forgiving smile, they nodded slightly then walked behind Rachel.

As they got closer to the construction, they heard some noise. Step by step, the noise got louder and louder. When they reached the door, it was clear that that noise was music. There was music inside. Feeling really surprised, they opened the door only to get even more shocked.

People were dancing insanely, lights everywhere, music so loud that it can make martians go deaf, and a bar at eye-sight. They all came to a realization: This place was a night club! A huge, wild club to say the least.

"Umm, are you sure that Will's here?" Matt asked, not believing that a heartbroken lonely girl would possibly be here.

"Well, the Heart was pointing towards it . . . but I'm not sure, maybe . . ."

"Uh, g-guys . . ." Hay Lin whispered in disbelieve. She was pointing at someone, and when the others followed and saw who, they all gasped.

It was Will indeed, though not exactly the Will they'd expected to find.

Not what they had expected to find _at all_.

She was standing on a table – more like dancing on one. She was so active and flexible in her moves. Her body was smoking hot; well toned and so limber. She was a good 5.7 feet tall with a skin that was glowing. Her long flaming red hair blew in the air with every move. Her face was as alight as ever, brown eyes full of happiness and life, graceful cherry lips, and a flawless visage. She was wearing a grey sleeveless top. In her hands, two 5-finger half gloves. She had black shorts on – underline the word _short_ – with black sneakers. Much to everybody's surprise, she seemed absolutely perfect, in fact, better than ever. She was actually singing. Will grew to be confident in her Guardian years, but she never dared to sing in front of her family, let alone a huge crowd of strangers.

_It's explosive, speakers are pumpin'__**  
**__Still jumping, six in the morning__**  
**__Table dancing, glasses are crashin'__**  
**__No question, time for some action_

_Temperature's up_  
_'bout to erupt_  
_Gonna get my girls_  
_Get your boys_  
_Gonna make some noise_

_Wanna get rowdy_  
_Gonna get a little unruly_  
_Get it fired up in a hurry_

_Wanna get dirty!_

No one could believe that _this_ was really Will. It was too impossible.

After noticing that half of the crowd was staring at them weirdly because they were dumbly standing in the middle of the club, the gang decided to take a seat around a table and order something before they could figure out what to do, _if_ they manage to move over their shock. They kept watching Will the whole time, and unknowingly to anybody, Rachel was the only one who was actually thinking of way to start the conversation.

The redhead stopped singing and ended her dance with a great move. She giggled and spread a gracious smile when a blond guy put his hands on her waist and gently lifted her to get her off the table. When she touched the ground, the guy kissed her on the forehead, making Matt almost jump in his place.

Will headed towards a table with the blond man. They sat down around few other boys and girls. They were all laughing and smiling; they seemed like best friends, the kind of friends that stay for life, the kind of friends the gang and Will should have been if not for their stupid mistake caused by Candracar's irrational fear.

"Okay, it's been about an hour now, did anybody figure out what to say?" Rachel asked looking at her friends, before finding out that they haven't heard her because they were lost in their thoughts and in their gazes at Will. "Hey folks?" No answer. "Guys!" Rachel slammed her fist on the table, finally earning her friends' attention.

"Did you say something Rach?" Hay Lin asked, obviously still absent-minded.

"Arrg! Well, I _was_ asking if anyone found out a way to approach her, but it seems that you prefer staring at her in the distance over actually talking to her." She complained, now feeling really annoyed at her friends' unprofessional behavior.

"What do you expect us to do Rachel? We haven't seen her in like four years. It's not an easy thing to talk to her." Cornelia scolded.

"I understand that you loved her and all, and I understand that you feel guilty and stuff, but you see right there that she's alright, perfectly fine, so now can we please focus on our mission, we need to get her to help Candracar. Do you think she still trains on materiel art?"

What Rachel failed to realize was that the well-being and happiness and their previous redheaded fellow _was_ the reason behind their surprise and dismay. Had she moved on already? Did she forget everything about them or what? These questions were killing the young group. "Humm . . . I think we should wait till she ends up alone. And since you're all still so sensitive about it, why don't I do all the talking, okay?" Rachel suggested.

"What are you going to say?" Taranee asked, finally breaking her gaze.

"I'll just simply introduce myself and ask her plainly for help."

"Oh yeah, 'Hey, I'm the new leader of the Guardians. I took your place and now all of your ex-best-friends who had betrayed and hurt _you_, love _me_. And by the way, can you do us a big favor?' . . . Yeah, I don't think it's going to work, Rachy." Irma commented sarcastically, not wanting to see how Will would react at the discovery that she'd been replaced.

"That's stupid Irma. It doesn't even matter what would I say, the important is her acceptance on helping us."

"Why would she help us? I bet she'd rather help Phobos himself."

"Well, I think she'll take our side quite happily. From what I've heard, she isn't one to sell her principals. At least she'd do it for old times' sake, we–"

"_Shit_ girls –I think she saw us!" Matt whispered horrifically. They all looked at Will, and felt their hearts dropping down on the floor when they saw that she was looking right back.

She was still sitting with her friends, and they were talking but she was silent, with her gaze was fixed on them. Her face was showing no expression, her eyes were steady, but her look was intense.

Both parties kept staring at each other for long, never-ending, painful minutes – at least that was the small group's case. After just few more minutes, Will said something to her surroundings, then got up and left the club.

The Guardians and Matt did not know if that was a sign that she wanted to talk to them, or she just wanted to leave. Either way, they all immediately got up and headed outside.

They saw Will opening a car's trunk, looking inside it then closing it. After just few seconds, she was heading back to the club, but they were blocking her way. Still, she kept walking till she was only mere feet away from them, she was facing them directly, looking at them with what she tried to maintain as an emotionless, though she couldn't conceal an involuntary twitch of her eyebrows. They were all silent, even Rachel suddenly didn't dare to speak.

"Hey," She simply said, her voice soft. It took moments for the others to understand that she spoke and answer.

"H-Hello, Will." Hay Lin replied, though her voice not as steady. Silence controlled once again, but now Taranee broke it before it got too annoying and uncomfortable.

"How are you . . . umm, how are you doing Will?"

"I'm pretty good, though I'm wondering what are you doing here." Will aimed to get right into the point, unlike the others who really wanted to check on her. They missed her like hell.

"First, tell us, uh . . . You know it's been a long time since we . . . s-so, how's everything working out Will?" Matt asked, feeling very uneasy right now, while Will simply shrugged.

"Everything's okay. My college's starting again soon, so I was having fun before the storm." As a sign of joke, the group giggled, but Will didn't, she just kept staring at them with an unreadable face. At that, they all shut up instantly.

"Oh, college?" Cornelia tried to shake the previous uncomfortable event.

"Yeah, my third year. It'll start about four weeks from now, maybe not as soon as I told you but still. You haven't answered me though, what are you doing here?"

"Uh. . . Mhm, it's . . . Uh . . .?"

"I got out of the club to make sure that my stuff were in the trunk, but what's your excuse? You want to talk to me right?" She was confident enough, not scared of them; it was like nothing happened years ago.

"Yes Will, we want to talk to you. But first we should make some points clear. About what happened last time, we–"

"Don't, just don't." The redhead muttered, shaking her head. "There's nothing to explain or discuss, what was done is over now, long over." She vaguely hinted at the fact that the chance at any reconciliation was very slim.

"But Will, you should let us explain. We're sorry about everything we never meant to–"

"Hurt me? Well you did, and did it hard. But that's not important right now, I moved on, and you guys seem alright. So you see, there's no need to look back at the past." She said, her tone getting louder.

"Will, we never forgave ourselves, it was–"

"Are you here only to talk about this? I told you what's done was done." Will insisted, even though her gaze flattered and she looked at the floor. "You guys really meant a lot. But I moved on. I have a good life, I have great friends, and now I have hope in a happy ending for me again." She said firmly, leaving Matt to wonder if that blond goo goo eyed bastard was his replacement. But one of Will's words rang in Taranee's ears like hell's call.

"We . . . we _meant_ a lot?" She sadly locked her ex-friend's gaze. Will remained silent because she meant what she said, even if keeping eye-contact with the Fire Guardian was something hard for her. Rachel said nothing from the beginning, she was caught up with where the conversation was going, but when Will's gaze shifted towards her, cold shivers struck her instantly.

Rachel did not know why or from where the freaking out came, but she was startled by and suddenly self-conscious. Will had her eyes fixed on her as if she was analyzing her position in the group. Maybe she figured out that she was the new leader, maybe not; either way, her look, as mute and indifferent as it was, was creeping Rachel out.

Irma finally spoke, making the redhead free Rachel from her gaze and giving the stunned blonde some time to recover. "Will, just please, promise you'll listen to us when we talk about this subject again."

"Again?" Will's raised her eyebrow in confusion – the only emotion she had clearly manifested in front of them today.

"That reminds us," Taranee rolled her eyes. "Rachel, don't you have something to say?"

_Damn,_ Rachel thought to herself, as she smiled like a small schoolgirl when Will stared yet again.

"Yeah, I . . . It's just the . . ." She cleared her throat and straightened her back, attempting at gaining her composure. She was their leader, for God's sake, regardless of the past. "We need your help in a Guardian business, actually."

"I'm sorry, but you would be?" Great; among all of the questions on Earth, she just had to ask this particular one right away!

"I am Rachel Brooks, the . . . I'm the leader of the Guardians." She was attentively wary of what to come. Much to everyone's surprise, Will smiled and nodded while the rest of her face remained detached. That gave Rachel a new push of self-assurance.

"Well, you see Will, something really bad happened, and we need your help or else we're doomed – all of us."

"I'm sorry – really am – but I'm done with the Guardian thing. For good." Will simply stated. Even with that said, she didn't walk away but instead she kept standing in front of them, even though, apparently, she was growing more impatient by the second.

"This is not an option to argue over. Something really dangerous is in the making. I guess you'd understand yourself when you learn that Phobos – the lunatic Prince Phobos you definitely didn't forget – is back."

Will's jaw almost dropped. "No, that's impossible. He jumped into an endless hole, and he was powerless; no way he could've got out. Impossible." Will humorlessly grinned shaking her head, remembering everything about her old enemy.

"But it did happen, and he _is_ out. He was seen in Meridian few days ago. We don't know how he managed to get out, but we're sure that he's planning on something big. He had already freed all of Meridian's prisoners. He of course will not be satisfied with that, and his revenge will be costly – you know that." Now Rachel was the one doing all the talking. Will seemed like she was thinking for a second, then she shook her head again.

"You can do it alone, I'm not–"

"I've told you, that is not an option Will. We can't do it alone. Yan Lin herself said that we'll need _you_ to help us; you know more than most of us, and you–"

"I said _no_." It was a low mutter, but it sounded threatening enough. "I'm sorry, but I'm done with this. I'm over with being a Guardian, I don't want anything to do with Candracar or Metamoor or anything relevant anymore." She quickly scanned the whole group with her brown eyes. "Rachel, you are the leader now, and when I left the team it was strong enough. You'll manage without me. And _this_ is the end of discussion." She started to walk past them, stammering her feet hard in the ground with every step. The others were in dead silence and sadness, but luckily Rachel interfered. She grabbed Will by her wrist, only to feel a fist dashing right into her ribs. The blonde fell on the ground, hugging her aching body and panting, the punch actually making it hard for her to breathe. Will stopped walking and looked at her victim sullenly but she didn't say anything. Rachel clenched her teeth as she got up slowly, coughing.

"Will, you . . . y-you're . . . _Ooow_!"

A sheepish sign escaped. "I have been training; there was no reason for me to stop, you know." She answered. "I'm sorry, though."

"Listen, i-if Phobos wins and destroys Candracar, he'll continue his revenge on Earth. You know it well, so why won't you come with us? You don't have to stay, just help us find and captuare him, and then you're free to do whatever you want."

The others standing in the middle sighed. Rachel's clear offer was _stay and help and then leave_. They didn't want her to leave, but they kept their mouth shut and watched silently.

"I . . . I don't want to remember," Will muttered in low tone. Rachel understood, but the need for her help is a fact.

"Are you going to risk your the life of your loved ones because of that?" It didn't take long before Will shook her head.

"No." She firmly replied. "But . . . Fine." They all stared at her and she avoided to star back. "Fine. I'm going to help you, but as soon as we find him you'll leave me alone – for good." She didn't even direct her words at her old friends. Rachel nodded smiling.

"We have a deal, but–"

"Hey Willful, where were you all this time long?" Some girl yelled from the distance. They all glanced towards her, with Will rolling her eyes at her nickname. They saw the gang that she had been sitting with earlier leaving the club and heading towards them.

"Can you guys jump off a huge cliff and die for a while, I'm kinda in a serious matter." Will said politely enough, but her friends didn't speak that language.

"Aw, are those you're _new_ friends now? Are you finally sick and tired of us Free Willy?"

"Morgan, just leave me in peace now, my head hurts. I'll be in the with you a little bit later."

"Hon, you really scared me when you didn't come back, something's wrong?" The blond guy said approaching Will and putting in arm on her shoulder. He smiled at the group. He was really good-looking and he seemed friendly, that was exactly why Matt resented him deeply.

"Hello there." He said lazily, but still smiling. He was waiting for his girl to introduce them to each other.

"Cooper, baby . . . I'm sorry but I really need to stay alone for a while, do you mind, love?" Will said softly. Cooper just shook his head.

"Not at all, but if something's wrong don't hesitate to tell me about it okay? We're going to wait for you in Ethan's, and we're not planning on having any sleep today." He told her excitedly than kissed her leaving and taking with him his struggling friends with him.

Will slightly giggled at his words, the night's events forgotten for a while and all she could think of was her current life, with her current best buddies.

"Does they know about us?" Cornelia finally talked, after Will's friends were gone.

"Oh? Oh, they're my everything, Cornelia. They know about the Guardians and Candracar and about what had happened. But I-I didn't reveal your names; I didn't feel like it was fair for you." There was finally warmth in Will's voice, completely different from the voice she had used on them before. Maybe because she really missed them and finally couldn't hide it, or because she wasn't talking about them but about her new friends and company. "We'll meet here tomorrow, I'll go with you to Candracar. Right now, I need to talk to the others about it and get some rest, good?" She didn't wait for someone to answer, she just walked towards her car car then drove away, probably to Ethan's apartement to get some 'rest'.

As she went, The group had mixed feelings. Rachel was thrilled, and so was the others, but Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, Hay Lin and Matt were also very upset because Will probably won't speak to them during the whole mission.

But tomorrow was new day, and Will was back.


	3. First Steps

**Leader**

Chapter 3: First Steps.

As planned, Will had met the group in front of the club. It was still morning, but none of them was really tired. Rachel was standing straight, her head high and a smile of a leader on her face. Making Will jealous or bothered was not of Rachel's intentions; she was just that kind of girl who felt proud of herself. Unfortunately, her teammates thought she was only bragging in front of Will. They glared at her cruelly, which made their leader raise an eyebrow of confusion._ What's gotten into them?_

The redhead came and was still with an expression of indifference on her face. She only seemed to care whenever Rachel talked to her, and the reason for that was that Will saw Rachel as a good girl so far, and she seemed like she cared about the lives back in Candracar and Metamoor. But, this wasn't the case for the others. Whenever Will's old friends or Matt talked to her, it was clear that they wanted to talk about what they had done to her, which was the last thing she wanted to think about.

Matt, Irma, Cornelia, Hay Lin and Taranee were really uncomfortable and worried while seeing Will and Rachel talking and standing together. They all thought there was going to be some tension between the two – the story of two cocks in one hen yard, so to speak – but unknowingly to them, both the former and current leader were getting along quite well. The others were just being paranoid.

"So that's the deal: we go to Candracar, and there we decide with the council and the Oracle what to do first." Rachel stated and Will nodded.

"We better go right away, the sooner the better."

"You're right. Guardians unite!" Rachel shouted as energy surrounded her body. She and the other girls transformed into their Guardians form, Rachel's was exactly like the one Will used to wear. Matt just turned into his regent from, while the redhead stood normal. "Okay then, let's go."

Rachel opened a fold and they all went through it. Will didn't want to admit it, but she had missed Candracar; she missed its calm and peace. Even though dangers always surrounded it, Will always felt safe there.

Once she stepped in, she scanned the area, and couldn't help but to smile at the still amazing, mesmerizing scenery. It didn't change at all. The soothing breeze reminded her deeply of her old memories, when she used to stay here and spend the time in peace and quiet. She remembered when she would run freely everywhere – when this place _used_ to feel like home.

The group headed slowly towards the palace, where they were welcomed warmly by Yan Lin, Orube, Elyon and Caleb.

"Wilhelmina, it is truly amazing to see you." Yan Lin was the one to greet, with a warm smile on her face. She used it to hide the traces of regret on her face. "You've grown up beautifully." Pride filled her chest, for the redhead was another granddaughter to her.

Will only smiled back. Though she didn't even want to, considering that Yan Lin had a huge role in pushing her away, Will had manners, and her smile was only out of politeness and the little respect she still had for her.

Elyon stood up, a mix of joy and sorrow in her eyes. Will grew to be a beautiful woman, confidence was obvious in her walk. But she felt sorry she wasn't there to witness that development of hers, like she did with the others as they grew up.

She had seen Irma show her feminine side, finally. Her light brown hair was the same length as it had been during her youth, but it was no longer chaotic and messy. It was now straight and completable, and it showed perfectly her lovely cheekbones. Dark lashed blue eyes, used to be full of energy, but at the moment barely alight. She was about 5.5 feet tall, her body was curvy and her skin was tanned. She had really got the look. She wasn't the tomboyish girl of the group anymore. She was not academically skilled and but she sure showed a lot of potential in the theater industry.

Taranee also grew to be a stunner. She let her black hair grow, and it reached down to her back. She, of course, had her glasses, but they never took anything away from Taranee's beauty. She was the same length of Irma, her black skin softer than a baby's. She wasn't shy anymore like she used to be; she now wore more daring clothes, which flattered her toned body. She sure was a catch. Taranee of course used to be an overachiever, but her participation in the society had been sort of limited after Will left.

Hay Lin had kept her hyper and innocent aura around her. Her hair now pulled back in a pony tail that had always made her look younger. Her black eyes were of a beautiful dark glow. Elyon was always surprised at how they sometimes literally shone. She was 5.3 feet tall, still has that petite form, but her body was rather sexy enough to be every boy's desire. She was still a very talented artist, and she was about to make her hobby a serious carrier.

Cornelia hadn't really change. She still had her special creamy shining skin, her golden hair always long and well-calmed . Her face was made from eyes that had the blue horizons color, small nose, amazing lips, and a sweet small chin that ended her perfect frame. She as tall as Will, making Elyon smirk; she can't brag about being the tallest anymore. Cornelia fluctuated between studying fashion design or just being a model, and she still couldn't decide.

And Rachel, well, Elyon didn't know her when she'd been a teenager, but seeing her now was seeing a was quite beautiful woman. She had thick wavy blond hair, slightly shorter than Cornelia's. Puppy dog lovable brown eyes that greatly reminded her of Will's. She was 5.4 feet tall, also toned and curvaceous, and had a great pale skin. Rachel showed interest in science – she was planning on becoming a scientist, mainly to help people all around the world. She had a benevolent nature indeed.

Will was impressed herself with these changes on her friends. Especially, and saying this grudgingly, the changes of Matt. The twenty two years old boy was no longer a boy. He had a muscular chest, still obvious even under his shirt. He had short dark brown hair, it was messy and puffy, it gave him a playful bad-boy appearance. She noticed that his blue eyes were cold unlike usual. He was about 6 feet tall, good-looking and rather appealing. Still, in her opinion he was no match for her Cooper. Good news for Matt, his band was abut to sign with a very famous label.

"Will, look at you!" Elyon said happily, a huge friendly smile on her face.

"Elyon – or have you gotten snobby enough to be called your Highness?" Will could joke with Elyon; the Queen hadn't really hurt her, and she hadn't missed her any less than the others.

Caleb and the redhead shared a warm smile, but the man avoided talking seeing how disappointed the other girls felt at Will's treatment toward them. Orube approached the ex-leader a little and nodded. "It's really good to have you back Will." When she didn't get an answer from her she quickly added, "Phobos needs to be stopped, and now with you on our side, I think we'll be alright."

Will really didn't want to hear compliments from _them._ Every time they did so, she would feel fooled. She wanted to talk and answer what regarded only the subject that mattered to her. "Let's just hope we can stop him before he makes a dangerous move."

"You're right about that, but first I have something for you." Yan Lin said, earning everyone's attention. She held in her hand something glowing, and she unexpectedly threw it at Will.

As soon as it hit the redhead, she felt a familiar energy run through her body. She felt power outburst inside of her, and she had to close her eyes and clench her teeth; it hurt her a little considering how strong it was. But the force soon became regular and stable, and after few seconds, Will opened her eyes and looked at Yan Lin only to see her grinning. The young woman knew what she was grinning about. She looked at her hand, and within a second, she formed an electricity bolt, exactly like she used to. Everyone gasped and Yan Lin started to explain.

"Will needs her powers back. The council and I had accepted on giving her back her old powers." Will felt disgusted when the old woman said the word _accepted._ As if they originally had the right to take her powers in the first place, she thought resentfully.

"But wait, her powers are the same as mine. Does it mean that I'm weaker now?" Rachel asked rather panicked.

"No, don't worry. When we first took her powers we kept them hidden, the powers that you have Rachel are not related to Will's."

"But that's not possible – there's only five Aurameres, not six." Taranee declared what she knew, and the others agreed.

"Five Aurameres for five guardians. What I gave Will wasn't a power over an element, I gave her her true powers in their purest form." Raised eyebrows was the only response – Will especially was having a terrible headache; it had been a long time since she last heard magical talks. "It's really simple actually: when you girls fist received your powers, they were only made of each element's power. They were weak and young, but as you trained you became stronger, it wasn't the element itself that was becoming stronger, it was because you were adding more power to it. The Aurameres don't get stronger, never. They always stay the same, in the same level of force. But when you train, you gain more power, different power, and it gets added to the original element's force." The girls nodded, only because they didn't want to look like idiots – truly, they still hadn't understood a word.

"When we took Will's powers, we took her element's, plus her gained powers. We put the element back to the Aurameres, but the added power can't be put there so we stored it. When Rachel came, we gave her the power from the Aurameres, that means we gave her the original power, so she had to begin from scratch. Will's gained powers were not to be given to Rachel because they were Will's and only Will's. So now I gave her the powers she gained over the years. She doesn't control an element, she have free powers, powers unrelated to anything. So you see, her abilities now are not exactly as powerful as yours, but they are free, and that's a kind of advantage."

"I see." Will calmly said, although a billion things was racing in her mind.

"Great. Now that everything is clear, we have to make the first move." Rachel told, wanting to focus on Phobos's comeback.

"Well, you told me that Phobos freed the prisoners in Meridian, but was he seen anywhere else?" Will asked, automatically merging into a leader's attitude. She was careful though not to irritate Rachel. The girl seemed nice enough, and all that Will wanted was to make sure that the world was safe then go back to her home – her true home.

"Actually, yes. He was seen on the outskirts of one of Metamoor's villages. He was first spoted close to its forest." Elyon acknowledged based on the facts.

"You think we should start there?" Taranee asked. She didn't know if her question should be directed to Rachel or to Will, so she didn't look at neither.

However, Rachel was the one who answered. "Yeah, I think it's better if we start there. Maybe he had a refuge or a hiding place."

"We'll see for ourselves." Elyon opened a portal. Rachel nodded and stepped through the portal, followed by the others. All expect for Orube and Yan Lin who wished them luck and promised that they'll keep them updated for every new information..

They were in the middle of the village. Some of residents had terrified expressions, due to the new rumor that Phobos was back. Some villagers were just walking normally, showing respect as they passed by their Queen, maybe knowing everything about the rumor, but they just won't believe it. Others were staring at the redhead of the group with surprised looks; it had been a lot since they had last heard of her. They were happy she was back, though, because they all loved her. However this also made the observers kind of worried: Will's presence meant that something dangerous was going on.

The gang decided to ignore the villagers' conflicted expressions and the weird ambiance. Caleb was the first to speak. "The forest is that way, but it's really large, I think it'll be better if we go in separate ways." He suggested and both Elyon and Rachel nodded.

"Okay, so Will and Matt, why don't we go with me, and we search the north side of the forest." Rachel's choice was innocently random, but it made Matt happy, Will annoyed, and the others upset.

"Oh, okay. So Caleb, Cornelia and I will search the west side and the others, you go right there okay? We'll meet in my palace when it gets too dark, we can't risk staying there at night." Elyon pointed out and immediately went with her team to the destined area. Caleb had to drag Cornelia with him. Taranee, Irma and Hay Lin smiled sadly at Will then headed to there places. While Rachel, Will and Matt stood alone.

"The north side is kind of far, we can't walk there." Will said. She remembered every detail of that forest; it was the battlefield of many fights in the past.

"Can you fly?"

"If you can't I can hold you on my back if you want!" Matt offered rather enthusiastically. Rachel scowled at him while Will just rolled her eyes. She focused shortly, and looking down, she noticed that she had managed to float in the air, so she smiled.

"No thanks. It seems I don't need wings to fly."

"But–"

"I can manage, thank you." She cut him off firmly, shushing him for good. Rachel grinned and they all took off towards the forest.

* * *

"You bet I'm worried Caleb. You remember how much Phobos was a pain in the neck, who knows what's he planning on!" Cornelia was really frustrated at this. She really was scared of what to come. That damned Phobos had always the element of surprise on his side, and everybody knew how much Cornelia hated surprises.

"But now we're stronger, C. I think everything will be alright if we just find him." Elyon said, knowing that there was a big hope. She stepped on branch which snapped. She muttered something low before keeping on with the searching.

"But Elyon, after what Phobos did, it's obvious that he's stronger too." Caleb wasn't trying to depress anyone, but he too had doubts and concern.

"Yes, but we have a secret weapon, and that's Rachel. I don't think he knows about what happened four years ago. He expects the Guardians to be the same girls, so we do have a surprise for him ourselves. Plus, from what Yan Lin said, I think Will's now differently strong than before, so that's another bonus. And hey, both she and Rach – and I – have the qualities of a leader, which will help us and give us an advantage. Three pretty heads are better than one, you know." Elyon wisely and smugly said. Her playful attitude was due to her high hopes. She really was optimistic about this battle.

The three young adults were walking calmly, focusing on every space in the woods. Caleb had his sword at his side, ready to be used. Elyon's crystal blue eyes were concentrating and sharp. If she stared at someone, she'd probably give him a paper-cut.

Cornelia was on the same level of focusing. She was examining the whole area, knowing that there was always a chance of getting attacked. But there was something bugging her inside . . . Talking while walking wouldn't hurt anyone.

"So, guys, I was wondering if . . . How are you feeling?" She hesitantly asked, with a tone almost sheepish. The two others looked at each other and then answered, completely unaware of the true meaning behind her question.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"I'm a little hot, but good enough."

"That is not what I meant." Cornelia growled. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I meant how are you feeling about Will. Will being back . . . It's been four years, and she's not staying here after we capture Phobos. Tell me what do you think, how are you feeling?"

"Why isn't she staying?"

"Elyon, you wouldn't have believed if you'd seen it! Will has now a whole new life; new interests, new plans, new friends, and I guess a new lovey-dovey boy, too."

"Oh," Elyon didn't know how she really felt. She was happy that Will moved on – honestly, she did, she had always wished the best for her friend. However still, she was upset that she couldn't share her friend's happiness, and she couldn't be a part of her new life. Caleb, on the other hand, had a somewhat firmer opinion.

"I'm really happy she started a new life. She's much better off without us." He confessed wholeheartedly, and he meant every word.

"What? How could you say that Caleb, didn't you even miss her one bit?" Cornelia countered, hating the boy's words.

"I did Cornelia, I really did miss her a lot. She was a good friend and a good warrior, but that's exactly why I'm happy she moved on. She deserves that second chance and believe and she should take it straight. Of course she wouldn't stay – wouldn't_ want_ to – after all, you girls did betray her and–"

"Hey, no Caleb, you wait a second, we did not betray her." Cornelia couldn't believe such a direct assault; it made her feel too guilty. "If we had disobeyed the council and made any kind of contact with Will, they would've punished us all, her included." The blonde Guardian was defending her point of view but Caleb didn't change his mind, nor even did he stop attacking her with his words.

"Is that your excuse? It was like watching her drowning without helping her because you were afraid of getting wet. Maybe you didn't betray her willingly – I'm not accusing you of that – but you didn't stand up for her either. Look, I'm not only blaming you and the others, I'm also blaming Candracar and Metamoor, and myself, too. She suffered so much, especially after her mother's marriage. She had devoted herself to protect the peace in these worlds, and this was how we had repaid her. Candracar shouldn't have done that to Will, and we shouldn't have stood silent without making any move about it. Actually I'm feeling a bit sorry for her now because she has to be the responsible person and come help innocent people right next to the ones who have hurt her."

Caleb finally finished without being interrupted. Maybe he was a little harsh on Cornelia, Elyon thought silently, but Will was his friend too. That was way he was happy for her, although he was hurt because of what she might be thinking of them – not that she didn't have the right to do so. She remained quiet, knowing that what Caleb had said was true, in all kinds and forms, but she couldn't help but regret what she had done and she wished to go back in time and prevent Candracar ever crossing the line.

Cornelia was also wishing the same thing. Caleb made her feel guilty, but she already knew she was, she didn''t need him to tell her that what she did was a mistake. The only thing different between them was that Cornelia wanted Will to forgive them and stay, unlike Caleb who believed that they didn't deserve her forgiveness and wished everything to end so she can go back to her life.

They all went back to silence as they kept walking through the forest, looking for any enemy.

* * *

It became a while since they had first taken off. They fixed their eyes on the land below, trying to find something that could lead them to Phobos. Silence mostly overtook, only few conversations were held between Rachel and Will about the needed precautions, in case Phobos struck Candracar, which seemed highly possible.

Finally they landed in the north part of the forest. Everything seemed utterly normal, nothing was suspicious around, but from their experience, they all knew that looks can be deceiving.

"Where could a hundred monsters hide without a single trace?" Matt exclaimed, shoving his hand in the air.

"I'm wondering about how Phobos got out of the emptiness in the beginning." Will remarked, knowing that there was something big behind it. She was thinking of every possible way, though they all seemed illogical, but where was logic in a place full of magic?

"Do . . . Do you think someone helped him?" Rachel inquired, fearing the worst.

"It is possible, though I think it's a little unlikely. I mean why would all of a sudden someone decide to help Phobos, and how did they manage to? Plus, Phobos is too greedy and proud to have a partner or an equal; I think he owns the credit for his escape." Will spoke her opinion.

Another silence fell upon the small group. Their search was really wide and precise, and yet, they couldn't find not one trace that could to the runaways or Phobos himself. But they kept searching, every tree, every bush, every single inch of this part of the forest. Finally the sun began to set, and the warm atmosphere was replaced by a slightly colder air. It wasn't annoying though, it was kind of refreshing, the gang needed it because they were all tired.

"What if we don't find them here? What do we do then?" Matt asked.

"We'll rest and then think about the next move tomorrow, we're doing our best now, let's just hope we find something useful." Rachel answered, not wanting all their efforts to go in vain. She suddenly remembered that Will didn't live in Heatherfield anymore, so she didn't have a place to stay. "Will, where are you going to spend the night?" She asked the distant girl.

"What? Oh, I think I'll stay in Meridian, in the castle. I'm sure Elyon would give a me a room." Will told them, wishing mentally that Elyon wouldn't take advantage of this situation to speak to her about . . . the pas

"Oh okay." Rachel put on a smile, that had quickly dissolved into a grimace. "But wait – don't you have a family back in Heatherfield?" The oblivious girl asked, ignoring the look of disapproval Matt gave her. "I mean didn't you live . . . before you had left, with your parents?" Will only shook her head, and that was her lone answer. And it was not because of the reason that Matt thought, but because she was distracted by a weird thing in the distance.

Rachel looked at the boy, who explained in a soft voice, "Will's parents divorced a long time ago. After moving to Heatherfield, her mother married some big time baseball player. His job demanded him to circle around the world, and of course Will's mother was thrilled to visit every country with her new husband, but Will didn't want to go." He frowned. "She didn't like the guy, actually. So her mother decided that Will should stay here while she travels around with her man. She called occasionally to check on Will, and she always sent her money and stuff. But her phone calls became infrequent more and more, and before Will had run away, her mother was barely calling once every two weeks. I don't know if she's still in touch with her now." He explained while Rachel felt a little sympathy towards Will.

She frowned slightly and looked at Matt almost accusingly, like she was blaming him for putting more misery into the redhead's already depressing life. He looked down at his feet then nodded as a sign that he understood what she meant and completely agreed with her – he seemed like he admitted his terrible mistake.

Will, on the other hand, was completely in another world. She was staring at something in the distance; it looked like a cave, but something had caught her attention. She kept gazing silently at it for few minutes, until she saw something lightening up inside it.

At this move, the young woman immediately ran towards the cave, knowing that there must be something inside it. Maybe it was the first clue. And maybe it was more . . .

As Will ran she was followed by the confused Matt and Rachel. "Will, wait up! Where are you going?"

"I saw something there. In the cave, there's something inside. Hurry up!" It was really hard for the others to keep up with Will, she was very fast, but finally Matt caught up with her and he was now running next to her. Before Will entered the cave, he grabbed her by her arm.

"No, don't go in! There might be something dangerous."

"Um, I think that's exactly why I _should_ go in!" Will snapped, but Rachel supported him.

"No Will, Matt's right. We don't know what's in there, and it's getting really dark now, I think we should just head back to Meridian, and tomorrow morning, we'll come back with the others – it'll be safer, like that." She tried to reason Will, but the redhead was hesitated.

"No, no. whatever is here could run away tomorrow." She protested but Rachel shook her head.

"Is it worth risking our safety?" The blonde used the right word to hit Will. If she said _your_ safety, then Will would have said hell yes in a second, but she used _our_, which meant all three of them. Will, being a leader once and working in a team for a long time, developed a habit that made her unconsciously protect her surroundings.

" . . . No, it's not. Let's go." She said as Rachel smiled. Matt flew, and the other girl immediately took off after him. Will took a last look on the cave before reluctantly following the others.

When they all disappeared, the cave was set alight once again, before loud noises were heard inside it.


	4. Off To A Rough Start

**Leader**

Chapter 4: Off To A Rough Start.

When Will, Matt and Rachel arrived to the Meridian castle, a little late, they only found Elyon there. She told them that she sent the others to their homes because they were tired, and she said that they'll all meet up in Meridian for breakfast in the next morning.

Feeling tired themselves, the three didn't argue. Rachel and Matt headed home, while Will slept in a room in the castle, after refusing Elyon's offer for a late dinner together. But she didn't enjoy a peaceful slumber, she was thinking about everything that happened lately to her. Who thought, after all this time, that _they_'ll be back to her life?

They seemed sincere in their apology, and they were honest when looking at her with eyes full of sorrow and love. She had to admit that she missed them, but also she can't deny the fact that she started a new life with different people, and that she loved it. But did she love it more than her old one?

Will rolled her eyes at the thought of her old life- she remembered every detail and event of her life in Heartherfield. Like her mother's ridiculous marriage to that idiotic arrogant of a husband. Her friends helped her through that period, but what about when she needed them after being kicked out of the guardians' group? Protecting and helping people was something she loved to do, she loved being a leader, a guardian, a warrior. When Candracar took this from her, they weren't by her side.

Will shook those bitter thoughts out of her head. If she was going to work side to side by them, she shouldn't bother herself thinking of her past days with them. So she closed her eyes, and finally she was able to drift to her much needed sleep.

The next morning, the guardians and Matt got back from Earth, a while after Caleb arrived. They gathered in a large chamber that had a huge table in the middle with nine chairs around it. Each sat on one chair, looking hungrily at the delicious, drooling-over worthy looking food on the table. But right before Irma reached out almost barbarically towards the waffles, Elyon swatted her on the hand.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Irma, don't you think we should wait for Will first?" Elyon asked while Irma crossed her arms around her chest angrily muttering something under her breath.

"Where's Will by the way?" Hay Lin asked.

"She's still sleeping right?" Cornelia said, as she slightly swayed the glass of water in her hand.

"Actually, she woke up a long time ago. She left early morning to go to Earth, she said that she wants to call Cooper and her friends." Elyon said, slightly giggling at Will's complaint earlier about her cell phone not having service in the other dimension of the universe.

"Who's Cooper?" Caleb inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"He's Will's new hot fiancé." Irma said casually before Hay Lin elbowed her.

"What? Is it "Hit Irma Day" already?" She yelled sarcastically, but as usual she was ignored by the others.

Uncomfortable silence fell on the group, probably because each was thinking about a different thing. But luckily, it didn't last too long, Will came fast to save the day.

"Good morning, sorry I'm late." Will sat next to Hay Lin, being the only seat empty. She stared at the food in front of her and immediately felt hungry.

"How was your night?" Matt asked seeking some conversation.

"Good. We didn't talk yesterday about our search, has anyone found something?" At this rejection, Matt just sighed out of frustration while Elyon answered.

"Not really, the forest was like it always was, calm and peaceful. How about you guys?" She looked at Taranee, Irma and Hay Lin.

"We had the same luck. Guess we better search somewhere else."

"Not quite!" Rachel declared. "In the north side of the forest, Will saw something, isn't it right Will?"

"Uhuumm." She muttered taking a bite from her toast. "It was very suspicious. I think saw something in a cave, we should go after breakfast and see what it was. It might be the first clue for where Phobos is."

"Yup, we should. So how's your friends back there?" Rachel asked nonchalantly, though it made Will almost choke while swallowing. Oh uh! It was a personal question, and it hit Will right out of the comfort zone.

On one hand, it was an innocent question asked by a nice girl; not answering would be rude and in fact uncalled for. Though on the other hand, Will was worried that if she talked about them, the rest of the group would feel hurt and offended.

Will shook her head and remembered that she didn't care about what the group felt. She just shouldn't.

"T-they're pretty okay. One of them suggests we track the villains down with a German Shepherd dog, but I really doubt magical eight feet tall monsters will be scared of him." Will found herself joking and smiling around, which made the others smile and start conversations with her.

The dreadful breakfast wasn't as dreadful as Will thought it would be. She actually had fun, they spent the time catching up and mostly joking about stuff. It wasn't until the last person to finish their breakfast (Irma) that Will remembered that they should go. And so they did. Elyon had to stay for two reasons: First, to take of the never-ending duties of a queen, and secondly, to protect the city from Phobos if he struck there. But all of the others left after she said she can take care of this alone. Now They were in the north side of the forest, searching for the cave Will found.

"I think it's that way!" Will pointed at the direction of some green buches. She was right, behind those buches they spoted the cave. Without a second of hesitation they went there and stood right outside it, but no one entered nor took a single step in.

"Oh, come on guys. We're seven great warriors! What are we waiting for?" Irma asked impatiently.

"And they are ONE THOUSAND great villains! Yeah, sounds like we really have an advantage!" Cornelia retorted in a witty way, making the water guardian glare at her.

"Scared Corny?"

"Of course I'm not!"

"Well you're being a little distressed."

"I'm being distressed, I'm being rational."

"I heard that rational people hide behind their favorite sheet and scream for Mommy."

"You little…."

"Ah, come on girls! Not now!" Luckily Matt interrupted, deciding to end this fight, much to everyone's relief.

While Rachel was rolling her eyes, she spoted Will grinning.

"They're still the same." She simply said before turning and changing into a more serious professional expression.

"We'll be alright if we stay together and focus. I think we should check the place out." But she quickly added when she remembered that Rachel was the leader. "What do you think Rachel?"

"You're right, though we need to be extremely careful and wide awake. We don't know what is waiting for us over there." She importantly cautioned.

"So we're taking the risk?" Hay Lin asked, not afraid but just worried for her safety as well as the other's.

"We need to take the risk!"

With that, they all went in at once, and as they got deeper into the cave it would get darker. Taranee used her element to light the place; she formed a ball of fire in hand and walked between Rachel and Will, who led the group inside.

After while of walking in total silence, they reached a dead end in front of them. Caleb stepped forward and pushed the wall to make sure that it wasn't a secret door hiding something behind it. The girls looked around them and found no other way or pass.

"I guess nothing's here, huh?" Rachel groaned sadly. The other sighed miserably before turning around and getting ready to get out of the cave.

Will breathed in disappointment; apparently she was mistaken. She turned around and started following her friends, wondering about the next step and plan- but suddenly, she felt something wet hit her head. She looked up, but saw nothing because Taranee was a little far now. Will quickly shouted.

"Wait guys! Taranee, could you come here for a second?" She and the others came back. Will got close to Taranee's fire, she put her hand on her head to see what hit her. Her eyes winded in shock and Taranee gasped.

On Will's hand was a stain of a red liquid- blood! The others looked surprised at it before Cornelia asked.

"Where did that come from?" Will slowly and hesitantly looked above her, only to receive another bigger surprise.

There was a hole in the upper surface and it was dripping a little blood. The group stood in shock and total confusion as they scanned the hole. It was wide enough for adults to pass through, and it seemed like it was natural, not made by someone. The blood was dripping and dripping; its scent still fresh.

"Oh God, what is this?" Was Rachel's only reaction. Will kept looking at the hole for a while before she answered.

"I think it leads to somewhere. We haven't reached a dead end."

"Why is there blood dripping from it? And most importantly who's blood is that?" Irma asked in a freaked out way.

"Maybe one of the prisoners got hurt while escaping." Hay Lin implied.

"Or most probably, the other prisoners murdered one of their mates for some silly reason. You can't loose your caution and expect to be safe around those backstabbing monsters." Caleb stated bitterly, frowning.

"We should see to where it leads, the prisoners are probably hiding there and maybe even Phobos!" Without wasting anytime, Rachel was the first to fly right through the hole and get to the other side. She was quickly followed by Matt, Will, Caleb, and the other guardians, with Hay Lin and Taranee slightly reculant.

The Asian guardian was the last to reach the other side. The fire Taranee had on made the vision pretty clear, though Hay Lin was still confused. She noticed that there was another upper surface on top of them, so they were still in the cave. It seemed like this had two floors on top of each other, and the prisoners may have used the top floor as a shelter for them.

But as Hay Lin was scanning the place, her eyes fell on the her friends who were gathered around something. She saw Will's serious look, the other guardians' sad faces, Matt's angry expression and Caleb's furious devastated appearance. She wondered what was the matter before looking at what they were surrounding, and she gasped in shock.

Apparently, they were all wrong. The falling blood wasn't a prisoner's, nor some creature's they ate. It was an innocent blood; it was one of the village's residents, and he didn't look over fifteen years old.

Hay Lin stood in shock and sorrow as she looked at the corpus in front of her. He was completely brutalised and hurt. His clothes were torn and his face was filled with bruises and cuts. The colour of this blood over ruled his body.

"He was one of my friend's little brother." Caleb suddenly said falling to his knees. "Toopy! He was only thirteen years old... H-he was the sweetest kid in the world. He was meant to become a great man!" He clenched his teeth in anger and while his eyes started to get wet. "They'll pay! I swear they'll pay!" His voice was more like a cry but it was strong and serious.

More sobs escaped his mouth as he slammed his fist against the hard floor. Cornelia put a comforting hand on his shoulder while the others remained silence in grief of a lost innocent soul.

After a while, Caleb calmed down a bit a stood up, a look of determination on his face. Will had about the same look, but because of her dangerous appearance caused by her flaming red and natural always sparkling eyes- she seemed more fearful.

"They must be here. We got to look for them before they take another one." Cornelia said firmly, very angry and mad.

"But first, we should warn the villagers. Hay Lin, could you please tell the villagers to stay home and careful. But don't tell them why, don't mention Phobos at al, they'd freak out for sure!" Rachel ordered before Hay Lin immediately nodded. She was about to get down using the hole before Will grabbed her arm.

"Wait! We can't leave him like this over here. Carry him back to the village, to his parents, and... And promise them that who did this will pay!" Will spoke angrily and distinctly. Hay Lin simply nodded again, feeling tears in her eyes, while Caleb looked at Will with much appreciation and gratefulness.

After Cornelia healed the boy from his injuries -a request from Caleb who didn't want the others to remember him like this- Hay Lin used her powers to make the air lift him and take him to the village with her. The others decided to wait for her but each of them was on high alert.

No one was speaking; they didn't think that any talking would be in use right now. No one minded the silence that controlled. Suddenly Irma jumped in her place, looked around her, then said in a low yet panicked voice.

"Did you hear that?" The others looked at her than shook their heads. Irma sighed, thinking maybe she actually heard nothing at all, but suddenly the noise came back, and this time everybody heard it.

"How about THAT?"

"We heard it Irma, we heard it."

"What was that?" Cornelia asked while Rachel made an electricity ball in her hand.

"Those are the enemies, I know it!"

"Let's look for them!" Caleb said aggressively while taking his sword out, but Will stopped him.

"No, we can't just go wandering inside, that's what they want so they can ambush us! We shouldn't come to them, if we stayed here, they will come to us."

Caleb slowly nodded and they all waited. It only took mere minutes for the noises to come back, and sound like they were coming closer. After all, tolerance and patience weren't exactly one of the villians' qualities.

First, the sound of chains being dragged on the floor, then the sound of heavy breathing, coming from both parties. Then the sound of laughing, yelling, shouting, and very annoying noise. Then suddenly, there was silence. A silence that sent chills down the heroes' spines. Each one of them was standing careful and ready, and Taranee was trying her best to keep the fire lighting without loosing focus or get distracted by the voices.

Out of the sudden, a figure appeared, coming out of the dark. It was a short creature, with a hump on his back, wrinkles on his green face and a disgusting grin spread on his mouth showing revolting teeth. He was not moving and not talking. Just standing there smirking widely.

Rachel wanted to wait for him to make the next move. She didn't want attack first because she was afraid of making the enemies angry and thus very dangerous. But Will, due to her experience, knew that there was no point of waiting. They'd better take the opportunity of surprising him before he start his plan, which ever it was.

Will immediately formed a bolt and fired it at the creature's direction, hitting him directly, and instantly killing him. After that, roars of rage were heard, coming from the other prisoners. Rachel panicked and snapped at Will.

"Why the hell did you do that? Now you made them mad!"

"I don't think that if we had let him live they would've made peace and invite us over a tea party!" Will shot back, making another bolt in her hand.

"But now they'll be much more aggressive and fight stronger! If we waited, they would've taken things slowly."

"The more we wait the more they have advantage against us. We made the first strike which means that we're on top now."

"Forget about this and let's just foc- Ah!" Before he could finish his line, Matt was pushed on the floor by one of the villains. They were all taken by surprise but they recovered quickly enough to fight back.

The criminal was now on top of Matt, with a dagger in his hand, trying to cut his face. Matt was holding him back with both hands but the creature was really tough and heavy. His mates soon came to action themselves, attacking the guardians, Will and Caleb with huge numbers flowing.

Taranee couldn't keep herself busy with holding the lighting fire in her hand anymore. She immediately made the fire ball float in the air, illuminating a large area. Then she made fire in both hands and started attacking.

Will was working fast and shooting lighting balls at each villain coming close to her, she killed about eleven villains, and was about to kill the twelfth, before one of them surprised her from behind and jump on her making her fall hard on the ground. Before he hit her with he huge rock in his hands, she quickly blasted him and, sending him away. She stood up but had no time to rest because others came attacking her.

Caleb was fighting with his sword strongly and unstoppably. He was doing just fine before a big creature came his way with one huge sword of his own. The creature roared loudly, making the cave tremble a bit. Caleb first gasped, but then he frowned and attacked with his weapon. The other villain had a large force, and he was blocking every move made by the young warrior.

Then the two fighters clashed their swords together, both trying to outmatch the other. Too bad for Caleb, the creature was strong enough to hold hid sword with one hand and use the other to punch Caleb right on the stomach. Luckily, he was able to restore balance before falling, and was able to swing his sword right on the creature's leg.

As soon as the beast fell, Caleb stabbed him right through the thick skin on his chest. He heard the villain groan for the last time before moving on to another enemy.

As for Rachel, she was fighting next to Cornelia and Irma. They were using their three element together at once, which formed a deadly weapon. They were fighting smartly and strongly, but that hadn't prevent them from suffering some minor injuries.

Matt was done with the creature who was previously on top of him, but now he was struggling with another one. Taranee tried to help him but she was busy herself. Too busy to notice that there was a villain behind her, on top of a large rock, waiting for the right moment to attack.

Taranee was shooting fire balls almost blindingly everywhere. But unfortunately, there was some small creepy creature who just wouldn't stand still. He was moving from place to place and fast, Taranee was focusing on him directly. The other villain behind her took advantage of her distraction and attacked her. She fell face first on the floor but not without hitting first a rock with her head. Taranee fell unconscious.

With the guardian who controlled fire not awake anymore, the fire ball floating in the air and lightening up the cave disappeared in a second, leaving a pinch black cave behind.

The cave drowned in full darkness and the other were unable to see anymore. The villains wanted to play around before finally finishing them, so they kept a distance away from them first, and left them to panic.

"What happened?" Rachel practically screamed, pointlessly turning her head around trying to see anyone. "The fire went out. The fire went out!" This time she really screamed in both fear and anger.

"Taranee! What's wrong? Fire up the place!" Irma shouted while the villains in the cave were making sounds and noises, just to amuse themselves with their enemies' fear.

"Taranee!" Matt called, but no one answered. "Guys, I think Taranee's hurt or something!"

"Ah, damn it! We can't see without her, we can't... Ah, crap! Something touched me!" Cornelia felt something sticky touch her leg, the it suddenly disappeared.

"Outch! They pinched me!" Rachel cried out.

"They're doing it on purpose. They're using us to play a freaking game!" Caleb hollered, feeling something between his legs as well.

Will on the other hand, was sensing something behind her. She could feel someone breathing by her back, the air he was exhaling was touching the skin of her neck. She remained control over herself though. She started to think of way to start a fire or to find a source of light. She smiled to herself in relief when she remembered something important.

"Rachel, I need you to do something for me, I need you to focus okay?" Will said carefully, still feeling the cold breath of the creature behind her.

"What is it Will?"

"I want you to electrocute yourself."

"What? What for?" Rachel couldn't really keep her temper in check in times like this. Other than her fear that Taranee might be dangerously hurt, the game the villains were playing in a way that was driving her crazy.

"Just do it, okay? I promise you, you won't get hurt." Rachel's only answer was a soft 'Okay'. "I'm going to count till three you hear me? Use your full power. And the others, I want you to keep your eyes wide open and stay aware. Act fast."

Either that villains didn't understand English, or they just thought Will's plan was pointless, they just didn't do anything about it. Will took a deep breath while the others got ready.

"One... Two... Three!" Everything happened in one second. the blond leader hugged herself and sent electricity through her body. Suddenly, she was set alight like ... Jut like a lamp. She was sparkling with a strong light from head to toe.

Will immediately turned around and blasted the creep behind her, while the others used the new found light to locate the other villains and start a fight. The element of surprise was on their side and they used it perfectly.

The criminals weren't prepared at all. Within a second they found themselves getting blasted and hit by swords. They only had one choice; they retreated instantly.

"Oh, no you're not!" Rachel said while forming an electric bolt in her hand. She was about to hit one of the escaping creatures before she heard Will scream.

"Rachel! No, don't!" But it was too late. Rachel shot the bolt but she felt a huge force beating her down, and a pain in her chest. She went flying back and then fell on the ground as the bolt missed his target greatly and hit the ceiling.

"Um.. Uhm.. W-whats happening?" Taranee asked in a low tone as she slowly started to open her eyes and regain consciousness. Caleb grabbed her hand to assure her but he didn't answer.

The cave trembled and shook as the rocks from the ceiling started to fall down. The avalanche began inside, and some of the rocks blocked the hole that lead them to here.

"Everyone, careful!" Was the only thing said before the avalanche continued, making total destruction...

* * *

"Um... Guys!" Hay Lin yelled, a candle in her hand, and standing under the hole that was now closed with rocks. She just came back from the village, and now she was in the cave, staring at the ceiling, worrying about her friends.

"Guys! Can you hear me?" She hoped for an answer but there was nothing. What happened up there?

'And what to do?' She thought to herself, before she sat on the floor, thinking, or more correctly worrying about the next move.


	5. Not To Be Underestimated

**A.N: Really sorry about the very late update of this story:/ And sorry for not being able to publish nor update other fics as well. My Internet hasn't been that good lately, but now I think it's all fixed. And though I have exams very soon, I think I can manage to post new stories this month.**

**Now back to the story. Hope you enjoy=)**

* * *

**Leader**

**Chapter 5: Not To Be Underestimated.**

A creature limped in a darkened place. Cuts were obvious on his grey skin, dripping green blood that proved his inhuman nature. He was breathing out of his mouth; he was tired and sore. The sole being was running as fast as he could on his sound leg, though he didn't really want to go where he was heading towards. He entered through the hole and crawled. The way leading to this hiding place was difficult to enter on purpose; the one residing it didn't want to be found.

Finally, the creature found himself in a large chamber. A large refuge, very well designed. The ground was made out of white hard-wearing tiles. There was a little hole on the floor, filed with water that came from the outside through the hand-made pipes. In the chamber, there was few sheets thrown around, a couple of boards, and some animal left overs. In addition to few swords and armors laid on the floor. The room was brighten due to a blob of light hanging from the ceiling. It was the best hiding place anyone could find.

The weak creature walked with a labored, jerky movement towards the one man that was standing in the room, looking at a map on the table. The tall man glanced at the injured figure, which made the creature frightened.

"L-lord Phobos- I have some b-bad news..." He said unsteadily. Phobos didn't show any reaction so the poor servant kept talking, thinking that his lord would have an outburst of rage on him after he finds out.

"There were people who went t-to the cave... They found the upper floor and... The troop responsible of that area was attacked."

"You were with them right?" Phobos asked calmly, still looking at his map.

"Y-yes my lord... But I managed to survive.."

"Are you the only one?" The smooth cold voice was making the creature feel uneasy and confused. That was when Phobos's gaze met his.

"No master," He was about to gasp but manage to respond. "there is others who also escaped, and some of them were even unharmed at all. But they are now scattered in the woods."

"What happened to the group you fought?"

"An avalanche happened. I do not know if they survived it. But even if they did, they cannot get out from the cave. The hole is blocked with rocks, there is no other way to get out, and they do not have the transferring spell you taught us."

"That is very good. Why did you say that it is bad news?" Phobos asked grinning. The creature arched a confused eyebrow. The Phobos he knew seven years ago was really different from this one. His personality was much calmer and more calculative, he was now steadier and more sane. And for some reason, he seemed always glad. Maybe falling in a deep hole for many years does that to a person.

"Because lord, they found out where my troop was hiding. Maybe more Meridians will come and find the rest of us. And maybe in due time, they would find where you are!"

Phobos chuckled at the creature's hysterical fear. The poor thing didn't know that everything was going just as planned. Phobos had thought of everything this time. Every move, every step, everyday. He can't lose this time, he won't.

"Remind me of your name again."

"Krozodinikiyar, lord." Came the rough voice of short Krozodinikiyar.

"Do you mind if I called you krozo?"

"No lord, I..."

"Of course you do not little guy." Phobos laughed. The tall blond took his time in looking at the map on the table, then he said in a commanding tone, "Find your troop's mates Krozo. Then all of you go back to the cave where the people who attacked you are. Fight them again then bring them to me... alive."

"Yes lord." Krozo said respectfully, but he couldn't help but to wonder, "Umm, lord, if you do not mind my curiosity, could you explain to me why do you want them alive?"

"We will chat about this at a later time, Krozo. Right now tell me where is your troop's commander? I'd like to talk to him." Phobos asked rather politely. Krozo had to shook his head to make sure that he heard right. It wasn't like he didn't like this new patient Phobos, but he was just surprised with all of the events that happened recently. The fallen king showed up out of nowhere and released them from the prison they were in for so long. And now it looked like he was planning on something really big.

"I think he is in the west refuge, Lord. With the injured members." Krozo informed and Phobos grinned.

"Very well. Now let us go."

"But are you not afraid of leaving this refuge unguarded?" Phobos put a friendly hand on his servant's shoulder.

"Do not worry at all, they will never search here, they will never find this place. You see Krozo, this place was built a long time ago, back to when I was The king of Meridian. The rebels built this place and used it as a refuge to hide. It was secret, only a few people know about this place. But it was so many years ago. I bet even the rebels who built it forgot about it. So it is safe; we can leave this place without being paranoid."

Phobos and his confused companion left the shelter and walked through the woods. Krozo wanted to ask how could Phobos walk here so openly without being a little careful or aware, but he stayed silent because he knew the 'new' Phobos had everything covered.

Krozo hated prison. He'd spent a long time there, and his life was as dreadful as his cell. The queen wouldn't care the slightest about them. She played the role of the merciful and kind when she'd spared them death, but Krozo had wished he would've had died instead of rotting in prison. He had nothing to do all day long but to stare at nothingness and eat. But one special day, something different and really entertaining happened. That was the day when Phobos had freed them.

Krozo had been in his cell in prison, trying to bite his fingers off. Not out of the lack of food but out of complete boredom and desperation he'd felt after being locked in this small cell for over seven years. When suddenly, he'd felt a deep shaking, then he'd seen an explosion threw the bars of his cage.

He'd gasped when he saw his savior. He had been greatly stunned, but when all of the prisoners had started to escape, Krozo didn't stay still and think of what was happening. Had Phobos truly defied death? Created limits for Infinity? Overcame his failure from before and restarted? With such a great force and determination, that is. Krozo didn't know anything about new Phobos, he sure had changed, but he was far more smarter to question him. He only trusted him and was ready to do what ever Phobos commanded him.

The two finally arrived, without being seen or noticed to the west hiding place. This one was formed from more than one chamber and it was occupied now by about fifty runaways. Phobos decided to make this shelter a place for the injured ones. There was many among the runaways who knew medical stuff and few healing methods, so Phobos decided to use the best of it and make this place like a hospital for his army.

The troop that was in the cave was here right now, including their commander. When Phobos appeared, they all bowed to him before going back to their work, while the commander approached him.

"My lord," He bowed in respect.

"Ah, Grifory. Tell me, what are the news?" Phobos smiled at the commander's appearance. He was very tall and extremely muscular. His bald pale face, full of piercings and scars gave him a fearful look. His eyes were a terrifying colour of red. His body, as hard as steel, was heavy and strong. And his dreadful rough voice was what completed his aura of evil.

"I am afraid we have been attacked by..." He stopped when he saw krozo. The small creature was standing behind Phobos so he wouldn't be seen, but unfortunately for him, his chief had noticed him and frowned.

"Krozodinikiyar, you worthless worm! You ran away while I specifically ordered to head here for rest!" He growled, raising his sword high in the air. "I must kill you for disobeying me and annoying our great king."

Poor Krozo shivered in fear as he covered his face, waiting for the sword to split his head from his body and end his life. But it never came. Instead, he heard the king's new caring voice that he started to like so much.

"That would be very uncalled for, Grifory. Put your sword down."

"But your majesty,"

"Krozo did not discomfort me. He was actually an excellent companion. I was pleased with his presence. So leave him in peace." Grifory hesitated a little bit, but then he replaced his sword in his right place on his back, with a weird expression on his face.

"As you wish, your majesty." He said while glaring at Krozo from the corner of his eyes. Krozo could only smirk at this with full happiness. Phobos found this a little amusing, but he needed to get to business now.

"Focus here. Tell me the details." He spoke to Grifory.

"Well my king, we were attacked earlier today by..."

"The five guardians?" Phobos presumed.

"True, but not quite. The Air guardian was not present. And there was also a blonde women whose identity is unknown, though she had high strengh."

"I see." Phobos said interested. "Anyone else?"

"The previous rebel leader, the regent of the Earth, and that would be it."

"Analyse the damages."

"Most of my troop has been harmed, and we lost more than a few dozin, Lord. That was not an easy fight at all. We fled the battlefield after an avalanche unexpectedly started. We have no information about the state of the enemies, whether they are alive or not, whether they are still in the cave or not. As for the enemies' lost... We only were able of causing minor injuries, my king." Grifory said, knowing that these news were very unpleasing for the king.

Phobos made a sound with his mouth, indicating insatisfaction. He walked toward one of the injured warriors and tapped him on his shoulder after he'd bowed before turning around again and looking at the commander with narrowed eyes.

"Grifory, I want you to add more warriors to your troop. Add about two hundred fighters. Then all of you go back to the cave and wait. I have a feeling that the enemies have survived the avalanche. When you see them, just fight them and bring them to me but _do not_ kill them! However, at this very moment, I wish to discuss certain things with you."

"Of course your majesty, I am at your service." The commander bowed again. He looked at Krozo and frowned. This action meant that Krozo better leave or he will pay. The small creature, though was sure that in the presence of the king, the almighty Grifory won't be able to do anything, didn't want to take the risk of challenging his commander.

"Um, if you will excuse me your majesty, I... I think I will be going to find someone who could heal my leg." Was his excuse to leave. Phobos of course noticed that Grifory indicated Krozo to leave but decided to ignore his act.

"Tell me what iss on your mind, my Lord."

"Have you talked to the other captains?" Phobos asked, now finally using a very serious tone.

"Yes, I have. They are all doing great, and nothing is facing them."

"Tell me the details."

"Deken, captain of the diggers troop, conformed that the tunnel would be ready at time." Grifory answered, happy with this news.

"Which tunnel?"

"The one with the portal leading to Candracar. The other under Meridian will take a little more time though. The news and suspicions are filling all of Metamoor already. There is a lot of guards spread around, and even the normal villagers are being careful and keeping their eyes on everything."

Phobos nodded. He knew that there might be a chance of a delay in something, so this wasn't unexpected. But he was so careful and secretive, how did the local villagers found out about him so soon?

"I am wondering what may have caused these suspicions. I know that the Meridian royal council decided to keep everything covered and not to tell anyone about it. So what happened, Grifory?"

Suddenly, Grifory turned yellow, and then red. He had a scared expression while his eyes showed guilt. Grifory took a deep breath, trying to find some confidence and courage to tell his king that it was partly his fault his plan was disturbed.

"L-lord... I am afraid that some of my warriors have, uh, kidnapped a child villager. And they have killed him in the cave, your majesty. That is why everyone knew."

"You were not controlling your troop well enough, Grifory." Phobos rebuked while Grifory tried to make up an excuse.

"They were hungry, your majesty! The food we could provide ourselves with was not enough. And you know that they had spent a lot of time in prison, so they can be quite barbaric and disobeying."

Phobos frowned but he didn't say anything else. It wasn't a very big problem anyway, though he really wanted to get over with the Meridian tunnel very quickly; his plan couldn't wait. He had been waiting this far too long.

"You need to talk to Deken. Tell him to send some of his workers to help with the Meridian tunnel, for it is the most important. How are things going in the training center?"

"They are all training on using swords, riding dragons, and of course, hand-skill. All of them are improving daily." Phobos grinned at this.

"That is excellent, excellent! And what about... The factory?" He asked in a mysterious voice, one which expressed some sort of wittiness and pride. Grifory at first tried to resist a smirk, but it soon was spread on his face.

"More than a hundred creatures were brought to life till now. They assured me that the process will get faster once they bring more mud to the factory." Phobos couldn't help but to smile widely at this. He was so sure, so right.

"Great." He said while turning around. "I will go for now, Grifory. Do what I told you to do once everyone in your troop is healed. Oh, and I will take Krozo with me."

Hearing his name, Krozo jumped and hurried right next to his king. He felt like he was his favorite. His king's pet. That would almost make him the superior of his own commander! Krozo wouldn't think of leaving Phobos's side now. He was already freed from going on a deadly mission against the enemies. Who knew what Phobos may offer him next.

Phobos and Krozo walked out of the campus and headed back to the main refuge, or as everybody from the villians called it, the royal refuge. The king didn't speak the whole walk, but he had a weird smile on his face. Once they arrived, Phobos turned to face Krozo with a smirk.

"Do you think I will win?" He unexpectedly asked, but Krozo answered right away.

"I'm sure about this, Lord. I mean, I believe that you have everything covered, and no one knows what you are planning on. They would not stand a chance, my king. They won't!" Krozo said, half honestly, and half kissing Phobos's butt.

"I am a good leader. Aren't I?"

"The best!"

"Good. Now what does a hungry leader do, Krozo?" He asked while his eyes scanned the little creature's whole body. Krozo felt a little weird but he soon shook his head and answered.

"I will bring you something to eat. Something fine and delicious for your liking."

"Ah, but dear Krozo, you already have something delicious!" Phobos suddenly took a big step into Krozo's personal space. The warrior freaked out a little bit but managed to control his composure.

"You know what we eat Krozo? I and people like me?" Krozo wondered what did that mean. Was Phobos meaning royalty and kings like him, or something else? Maybe he meant Meridians. Either way, he was very disturbed as Phobos was only few inches away from him.

"W-what?" He coaked weakly. Phobos chuckled in Krozo's ear.

"Creature like you." He whispered before he suddenly grew huge teeth and took a big bite of Krozo's face in astonishing speed.

In satisfaction, might and victory, Phobos started feasting on his victim.


End file.
